Rs3 lakh realised as fine from 440 ticketless travellers in Eastern Railway

Bhagalpur: An intensive ticket-checking drive is being conducted on the Sahibganj-Bhagalpur-Jamalpur railway section under the Malda division of Eastern Railway (ER) following repeated complaints of ticketless travel. The drive is being conducted onboard several key trains, including the Delhi-bound 12367 Vikramshila Express, Anga Express, Patna-Dumka Express, Kiul Intercity Express and Sahibganj Intercity Express.The objective is to ensure safe journeys for passengers travelling with valid tickets, prevent overcrowding in reserved coaches and stop nuisances such as unauthorised travel and unhygienic conditions in trains.Since the launch of the drive on Jan 29, railway officials have detected 440 cases of ticketless travel and realised Rs 3 lakh as penalty.The operation is being carried out under the supervision of Manish Kumar Gupta, divisional railway manager, Malda, and Kartik Singh, senior divisional commercial manager, railways, Malda. The checking is being led by Dilip Chourasia, chief inspector of tickets, Bhagalpur, along with a special squad comprising commercial inspectors, ticket-checking staff and RPF personnel.“The drive against ticketless travellers and irregularities in travelling has been intensified across the Malda railway division by the special checking squad,” Gupta said, adding that railway magistrate checking drives are also being conducted at Bhagalpur station.“More stringent action will be taken against offenders,” he said, appealing to passengers to travel with valid tickets and cooperate in ensuring safe journeys.